


Batteries

by ritsuko



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Childhood, Father Figures, Fluff, Growing Up, Space Pirates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-01
Updated: 2014-10-01
Packaged: 2018-02-19 12:37:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2388461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ritsuko/pseuds/ritsuko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yondu doesn't care about anyone. At least, he pretends not to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Batteries

"I need batteries."

Yondu looked up from his holo-screen with a frown. No one ever interrupted him when he was plotting out courses, and no one ever got away with it. Still, the tiny Terran with a red mop of hair looked petulantly up at him, two parts determined and one part scared. The blue skinned man flashed him a white and silver grin. "Well ain't that too damn bad, boy. Git' on outta here before you piss me off. You keep bein' annoyin' an' I'm gonna let the crew EAT YA." With that, he clacked his teeth at the child.

To his credit, the boy only flinched a little, feet rooted to the spot and resolute. "I need them." The child's tone was soft, and on the side of whining, another thing that Yondu wouldn't tolerate. He was about to get up and shove the little bastard out when he heard that little voice go even softer. "Please."

He eyed the child for a moment before putting his hands on his knees and leaning closer to that small face. "Need is a very strong word, boy. There are a lot of things I need too. A good stiff drink. A good lay. Credits. Not to be bothered when I'm busy." Yondu smiled maliciously, stressing the last bit. "Now, what is it you think you can offer me that I'm gonna give a shit about?"

It was at that moment he saw the small Terran contraption in Quill's trembling hands, the one that made such a ruckus. Obviously what he needed the batteries for. The boy clutched it like a lifeline, saying nothing. Finally, with an irritated snort, the captain turned back to his work. "Go on now, git. Maybe you can go find somewhere else to mess around, but not in here."

There was silence for so long that he had thought the child long gone, having been able to plot out two weeks worth of raids and bounties on the way to the drop off point, when a small hand reached up next to him and plopped down an ugly little doll with bushy bright orange hair.

"You can have him." There was a sad resignation in the child's tone.

Yondu stared in the thing's beady little eyes, eying it's puckered mouth and teeny clothes. With a humph of disgust, he turned away. "Is that all you got, boy? No way. Ain't nothin' I'd want that for."

Another moment's silence, and then that small hand pushed the doll back into his vision. "You'll be sorry if you don't take him. It's a good deal." The boy stated stubbornly. "He looks cool. You can put him on your dashboard when you fly."

"Control console." Yondu snapped, trying not to look at the kid. At least he had some guts. "Who the hell would want to do a stupid thing like that?"

"People do it all the time where I'm from. It's cool. And you can look at him. And talk to him. He's a good listener." The child's voice broke a little at this, barely above a whisper. 

The Ravager glared at the small boy, but he knew well enough that the child probably wouldn't quit. "Boy-"

"My name is Peter. Peter Jason Quill." The child cut him off, lip quivering proudly. 

Yondu fought the urge to roll his eyes, of course he knew. With an exasperated snort, he asked, "Fine, Quill. What kind of things would I tell it?"

Peter considered, jade eyes finally boring into his own crimson ones. "Whatever you need to. What's making you happy. What's making you sad. About people who are gone. Or people you'll never meet. About how scared you are to be alone-"

For a moment, Yondu was taken aback. Of course the kid had no one, at least he thought he didn't. He'd been kidnapped after all. But people who were gone. . .

"Whose gone, boy?"

The child looked away from him, gaze miserable and ready to start spilling tears. When he'd been picked up, he'd been an inconsolable, bawling mess. After that, he'd sullenly stared at nothing, Terran music blasting through the ear sized speakers in an attempt to ward off all of the bad things. For a moment, Yondu wondered exactly what the circumstances behind his cargo were.

"C'mon. You can tell me. Might be the only time I care to listen."

Perhaps he shouldn't have used the word care. Quill eyed him warily. It wasn't as if his crew had treated the kid badly since he'd been brought aboard, he'd just tried to put a little scare into him with the 'they all want to eat you' story. Hell, his first mate had tried to get the twerp to eat something, anything in the last three days. Nothing.

Finally, after silence so long that Yondu wondered if the kid had just gone dumb, he spoke. "My mom d. . . is gone."

Something in the way that the kid said it made the bottom of the space pirates heart fall out. He had a whole ship of misfits and outcasts, and here was another one. Well, another one that had somewhere to go. Still. . .

"What about yer pa?" He asked nonchalantly, and was amazed by how quickly the child's eyes clouded over with anger.

"I don't have a father."

The Ravager eyed him. "Really? Did he die? Or. . .?"

"I never met my father. He went somewhere far away and never came back. Mom said he would. . ." The child hiccuped, drawing a shaky break at the mention of his mother. "Doesn't matter. I hate him." Peter's voice was filled with disappointment and sorrow, fists clenched white. A single tear slipped from one eye.

Yondu stared at the child, mulling it over. Finally, Peter snatched the troll doll back, and turned to leave.

"'Ey! Where do you think you're going?" The blue man snapped at him, and the youth stiffened, and tearfully glanced back.

"What? You don't want him." He stroked the bright orange hair, looking into those creepy eyes. The words didn't sound like he was talking about the little figure at all, but that the child was affirming just how alone he really was. 

Yondu smiled, imperfect teeth glittering. "Oh yes I do, boy. You ain't gonna go back on a deal now, are ya?" 

The boy stared at him for a moment as if considering if the alien man was going to bite his fingers off if he neared again. "You promise?"

"Well, that's the whole point of a deal ain't it?"

The boy fidgeted. "How long will they last?"

Yondu snorted in irritation. "Dammit boy, show me what the hell you need then I can tell you." He stretched his palm out towards the boy, and Peter must have believed something that he saw, because he reached down to the tiny plastic case, removed a few pieces, and dropped them into Yondu's open hand.

He stared dubiously at the small cylindrical pieces. Archaic.

"Lemme tell you boy, these ain't no good to begin with. You're gonna need somethin' with a whole lot more juice. Now, why don't we run on down to engineering and see what we can rustle up."

Peter nodded fervently, but not before his stomach rumbled loudly. Yondu sighed. When did he take on daddy duty? "I guess we'll stop by the mess hall first." Before the kid can complain he eyed him, red eyes flashing. "Don't you argue with me. I don't need know whiny, hungry Terran gettin' on my nerves. What do you even eat?"

With a nose scrunch the child considered. "Do you have mac and cheese?"

Having a Terran child aboard was going to be difficult.

**Author's Note:**

> Before anyone points out inconsistencies with the troll doll, wait for it. I'm writing this fic as canon as possible, with nods to the past, and Yondu's control console figure collection. :3


End file.
